Dispensing container



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INVENToR. -J'ohn M/.Perlle BY ATTORNEY Patented May 15, 1951 UNITED OFFICE DISPENSING CONTAINER J 0.1m. Petrie, News-Haren, l(Sonn.

Application MaywZ", 1946, Sieri'alNo.` 666546 1. enum.. (ol. 20sn.292

, This: inventionv relates tol improvements.: distpensingcontainersand more particularly to.- a container ofthis` nature especially adaptedto hold? a quantity of" articles, such as cigarettes, and

having means provided initsz. structure to dis-- pense` the same one at ettirne.

@ne object` of this invention. is tot provide: a dispensing-'container adapted to. receive and hold a1 plurali-ty" off articles and.- wherein. manually:l operable means is provi-ded to all'owfthe.- lower-most article-to drop from the container whileretain.- ing theremaining.onestherein.

Another object; is to provide: iny a. container: of the aboveA nature means wherebyl it is.V adapted to hold lighted' cigarettes and means to dro-p them one at a time at the option of the user.

Still another object is to provide in a container of the above nature improved means to release an article therefrom amrmeanstoretain remaining oneSfther-.ein whichmeamsare simultaneously operable by manually actuating; one of them..

A further objectisto-provide an improved article dispensing container which will'be relatively inexpensive to manufacture, simple in construe.- tion, practical, andvery eiicientand durable in use.'

With these andother objects. in View.; which Will appearias the description. proceeds, there. has been. illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings one form in which the invention may be embodied in practice.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a iront face view of an article dispensing container embodying the features and principles of this invention;

Figure 2 is a rear face view of the same;

Figure 3 is a bottom View of the same; and

Figure 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the several views the reference numeral II denotes the front wall of the container body, I2 and I3 the side walls respectively,and I4 the back wall. The front and side walls II, I2, and I3, respectively, are, in this instance, formed from a sheet of perforated material preferably metal, the sides I2 and I3 being folded backwardly at right angles to the front I I. The upper and lower edges of the front wall I I are reinforced, the upper edge by a strip of material preferably metal I5 bent over and secured, as by soldering, to the respective edge, and the lower edge -by a strip of material, preferably metal, I6, V-shaped in crosssection with its edges abutting and secured to, as

by soldering, the' lower edge ofthe front wall Hf.

The-back wall` It is, in this instance, a sheet of material, preferably metal, having its: side edges bent over the adjacent rear edges. off the4 side walls I2 and' I3 and secured thereto, as by soldering- No top nor bottom is provided for theparticular` form of container illustrated, although suchmay be provided if desired, and' in some in stances it may be desirable to make the front and side-wallsl of unperforatedmaterial:

Thev form oi container illustrated is particularly designed for the use oi` actors, for instance magicians, who may desire, during their act, to suddenly display alighted'- cigarette, or the like, and therefore means, such as safety pins II'I- and I3L are provided to attach the container tothe users clothing. The-safety'pins |11.' andi IBZ are, inv this instance, secured one to each side Ir2f and I3 respectively adjacent the upper portion. thereof; as by soldering. In the-form illustrated. and preferred, they containerA isadapted' to hold. acol'- umn of`lighted cigarettes, one above. the other in slightly staggered relation, and preferably the containerisnoV wider between` the front and rear walls than oneand one-half the diameter of the cigarettes lto bedisposed'therein.

The means whereby articles, such as cigarettes, may-be dispensed' one at a time from the container` comprises a supplemental' rear wall` I9 which consists of a flap of relatively stiff material, such as springable sheet metal, disposed within the container adjacent its rear wall I4, and a plate 2I of relatively stiff material, such as a sheet metal, disposed outside of the container adjacent its rear wall I4. The upper edge of the ap I9 is secured to the rear wall I4 by rivets 22 and is preferably spring-tensioned to normally lie against the inner face of the rear wall I 4. The lower edge 23 of the flap I9 is curved inwardly from the rear wall I4 toward the front wall I I a pari; of the underside of the next to the last article of the column of articles, or cigarettes, disposed in the container, to assist in supporting the articles and for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

The plate 2| 'is hinged to outer face of the lower portion of the rear wall I4 on a hinge pin 24 and has a portion 25 extending upwardly from this pin 24 in back of the wall I4. The plate 2l also extends downwardly from the hinge pin 24 to below the lower edge of the wall I4 whereat the plate 2l is bent forwardly toward the lower edge of the front wall II to underlie the lower open end of the container and provide a releasable article holding member 26. A member 21,

secured, as by soldering, to the plate 2| and eX- tending therefrom forwardly through an opening 28, provided in the rear wall I4, into engagement with the flap I9 is provided whereby pressure applied upon the upper portion 25 of the plate 2| will cause the curved lower edge 23 of the flap I9 to be moved inwardly toward the container front wall I I and simultaneously swing the article holding member 26 from in under the lower open end of the container. In thisinstance the member 21 is shown in the form of a coiled spring to provide a cushioning effect on articles within the container engaged by said flap I9.

The above described container is adapted for dispensing articles one at a time therefrom in an eilicient manner. Assuming that a plurality of articles, such as cigarettes 30, are in the container as indicated in full lines in Figure 4, with the lowermost one resting upon the -bent-in portion 26 of the plate 2|, and the one next to the lowermost one being engaged is under a part thereof by the inwardly curved end 23 of the flap i9, and it is desired to dispense one therefrom, the user presses inwardly upon the member 25 of the plate 2|. This action swings the holding member V25 from in under the open lower end of the container to release the article resting thereon and simultaneously, through the instrumentality of the member 2l, presses inwardly the ap I9 to cause the curved lower end 23 thereof to press the next succeeding article forwardly against the front wall I I, and prevent it from dropping from the container as shown in dotted lines in Figure 4. When the lower end 23 of the flap I9` moves forwardly, it slightly raises the article engaged thereby, and those above this article, without damage thereto. This is partly due to the provision of a container which is no wider than one and one-half the diameter of the article, or cigarette whereby each succeeding upper one'readily moves upwardly without binding, or cramping, and partly due to the curved end 23. By making the member 21 in the form of a coiled spring to cushion the pressure of the flap I9 on the articles 30, the danger of crushing them is obviated.

By perforating the front and side walls I and I2, I3 respectively, lighted cigarettes may be disposed in the container without becoming extinguished. Thus an actor, such as magician, can

reach under an article of clothing where the container is secured by the pins I1 and I8, and suddenly bring forth a lighted cigarette, vor the like.

It will be understood that the novel features and principles of this invention may be embodied in other specic forms without departing from the spirit and essential attributes thereof, and it is therefore desired that the present embodiment be considered in all respects as illustrative, and

Anot restrictive, reference being had to the claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

Having thus fully disclosed the invention, what is claimed as new and for which it is desired to secure Letters Patent, is:

In an article dispensing container having a rear wall and an open bottom through which articles in said container may pass, a springable metal ap member having a curved lower end in said container extending across and normally engaging the rear wall thereof and being fastened thereto at its upper end and movable inwardly to'dispose its curved lower end into the path of movement .of the articles through the container, a plate member hinged intermediate its ends to the rear wall of said container and extending downwardly therefrom, and having its lower end normally disposed under the open bottom end of said container, the lower ends of said members being vertically spaced apart to receive an article therebetween, and a coiled spring extended through the rear wallof said container above the vhinge line of said plate and having one ofits ends secured to one of said members and its other end engaging the other member to operably connect the same.

' JOHN W. PETRIE.

REFERENCES QITED I' lThe following references are of record in the leof this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Y2,283,036 cobbs et a1 May 5, 1942 

